Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic FH20

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FH20, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and FH20 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was launched 11 months after the FH20 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-PL1s scores versus the FH20 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s offers outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FH20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1s vs the FH20.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and FH20 is 86 and 93 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to picture the difference in sensor dimensions simply by researching specifications. The image here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and FH20.

Plainly, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FH20 will provide you with greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The newer E-PL1s should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.